Customer name: Hotz Farms
Building size and series: 50' x 224' Atlas Building Series
Building use: Cow/calf barn
Authorized Dealer:Friedman DistributingOverview of business and benefits of the building:

Kyle and his wife Angela, along with his dad Keith, own Hotz Farms (www.hotzfarms.com), a purebred Angus operation featuring 100 commercial cows along with satellite herds that through a very intense embryo transfer breeding program produces 20-40 top heifers for the Hotz Farm Elite Online Sale held each year in early November. At the same time, other heifers raised through this program are sold throughout the year to producers looking to upgrade their herds.

Hotz was looking for a building that would house cattle. In addition to housing their cattle, Hotz wanted to choose a building that would also provide the healthiest environment possible. “We looked for a long time,” says Hotz, “trying to find the building that would be the most cost efficient, long lasting and provide best care for the heard. After all of the research, we chose to go with the Britespan cow/calf barn”.

“We had looked for a long time and looked at a lot of options. From our research, we liked the way they are constructed, their quality and the fact that Britespan would tailor the building to what we wanted.”

The building is a 50' x 224' cow/calf barn with two 5' eaves, a 224' curtain and weather-tight vents on top. It was a total turn-key project from the concrete, gates, waters, fencing, and tub/chute. “The barn is divided into four separate pens with the herd divided by calving dates. We also have four cameras installed, one in each pen, so that we can access what is going on with our cattle 24-7 from anywhere we might be.”

Other important design qualities include the natural lighting offered by the highly translucent yet incredibly strong fabric covers. This greatly decreases the use of electricity for lighting. The barn also has a high roof style that allows warm, moist air to rise above the cattle and a ventilation system that helps remove the stale air with fresh outside air. “We have found, too, that the barn stays cooler in the heat of the summer and warmer in the winter. In the winter, we can draw the curtains to keep the cattle more comfortable.”

“The only way for us to expand around here is to add another structure.” Hotz says. “We definitely plan on adding another Britespan cow/calf barn in the next couple of years.”